Gas introduction device

Abstract

A gas introducing device is provided that can alleviate a sudden increase in pressure in a decompression chamber when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, while simplifying the structure and control. [Solution] A gas introduction device (10) is attached to the atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve (6) that opens a decompression chamber (2) that is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure to the atmosphere, and is equipped with a valve body (18) that opens and closes the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve, a small amount of gas introduction section (14) that has an opening area smaller than the opening area of ​​the valve body when it is in the fully open position and is able to introduce gas regardless of the position of the valve body, and a biasing mechanism (20) that biases the valve body, which is in a closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber when the atmosphere release valve is opened, towards the fully open position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas introduction device attached to the atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there have been known apparatuses for treating or processing various processing objects in a reduced pressure chamber (vacuum chamber). For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses an atmosphere opening device that supplies gas to a load-lock chamber, which serves as a vacuum chamber for processing semiconductor wafers as workpieces, when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere. This atmosphere opening device includes a main gas supply system in which a main on-off valve and a flow control valve are provided in a gas introduction passage, an opening communication passage connected to the gas introduction passage and provided with an auxiliary on-off valve, and a control unit that controls the opening and closing of each valve. In this atmosphere opening device, when opening to the atmosphere is initiated, the main on-off valve is opened in response to a command from the control unit, a start trigger is applied to the flow control valve, and the valve opening of the flow control valve changes linearly from zero to a fully open position. In addition, in the atmosphere opening device, when the flow control valve is fully opened and the pressure in the load-lock chamber rapidly increases to a predetermined pressure value and a predetermined time has elapsed, the main on-off valve is closed and the auxiliary on-off valve is opened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3137806 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the atmospheric release device described in Patent Document 1, three valves must be provided, and when the vacuum chamber (load lock chamber) is opened to the atmosphere, these three valves must be controlled by a control unit, which raises concerns that the structure and control may become complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a gas introduction device that can simplify the structure and control while mitigating the sudden increase in pressure in the decompression chamber when it is opened to the atmosphere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, configuration 1 of the gas introduction device according to the present disclosure is a gas introduction device attached to the atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve that opens a decompression chamber, which is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, to the atmosphere, and is characterized by comprising: a valve body that opens and closes the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve; a small-volume gas introduction section that has an opening area smaller than the opening area of ​​the valve body when in the fully open position and is capable of introducing gas regardless of the position of the valve body; and a biasing mechanism that biases the valve body, which is in a closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber when the atmosphere release valve is opened, toward the fully open position.

[0007] The following description of the embodiments discloses that the gas introduction device according to the present disclosure may include the following subsidiary configurations. <Configuration 2> In configuration 1, a cylindrical body may be provided having an attachment portion at one end that is attached to an attachment portion on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve so as to communicate with the opening on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve, and an opening that is opened and closed by the valve body at the other end. <Configuration 3> In the second aspect, the small amount gas introduction section may be provided in the cylindrical main body. <Configuration 4> In any one of Configurations 1 to 3, the small amount gas introduction part may be provided with a flow rate adjustment part that can increase or decrease the opening area. <Configuration 5> In any one of configurations 1 to 4, the biasing mechanism may be provided with a biasing force adjusting section that adjusts the biasing force of a biasing member that biases the valve body toward a fully open position. <Configuration 6> In any one of configurations 1 to 5, at least one of the valve body and the peripheral edge of the opening opened and closed by the valve body may be provided with an opening area variable portion that makes the opening area of ​​the valve body smaller when the valve body is partially open than when the valve body is fully open. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The gas introduction device according to the present disclosure is configured as described above, and thus can mitigate a sudden increase in pressure in the decompression chamber when the chamber is opened to the atmosphere, while simplifying the structure and control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a reduced pressure processing apparatus including an example of a gas introduction device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2(a) to 2(c) are schematic partially cutaway longitudinal sectional views taken along the arrow XX in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic graph showing a transition in the flow rate of gas passing through a downstream portion of the gas introducing device. [Figure 4] 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic, partially cutaway, longitudinal sectional views corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a modified example of the gas introducing device. [Figure 5] 3(a) and 3(b) are partially cutaway schematic vertical cross-sectional views showing an example of the gas introducing device. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic graph showing a transition in the flow rate of gas passing through a downstream portion of the gas introducing device. [Figure 7] 10(a) to 10(c) are partially cutaway schematic vertical cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 2, schematically showing other modifications of the gas introducing device. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic graph showing a transition in the flow rate of gas passing through a downstream portion of the gas introducing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 are diagrams showing an example of a gas introduction device according to this embodiment, an example of a reduced pressure treatment device including the same, modified examples of the gas introduction device, and the transition of the flow rate of gas passing through the downstream portion of the gas introduction device in each example.

[0011] 1, the gas introduction device 10 according to this embodiment is attached to the air intake side of an atmosphere release valve 6 that opens a reduced pressure chamber 2, which is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, to the atmosphere. This gas introduction device 10 may be provided in a reduced pressure processing device 1 that includes the reduced pressure chamber 2 and performs various processes or processing on a processing object or a workpiece (hereinafter referred to as a processing object) under reduced pressure within this reduced pressure chamber 2. Such reduced pressure processing apparatus 1 may be provided with a mixed liquid dispenser that mixes a first liquid (e.g., a base agent) and a second liquid (e.g., a hardener) and injects the mixed liquid into a processing target such as an electronic device, an electrical appliance, or various parts placed in the reduced pressure chamber 2. In this case, the reduced pressure chamber 2 may be provided with a transport mechanism for carrying the processing target in and out, an inlet and outlet of the reduced pressure chamber 2, and shutters for sealing these so that they can be opened and closed freely.

[0012] A vacuum pump 3 that reduces the pressure inside the decompression chamber 2 is connected to the decompression chamber 2 via a vacuum line. A vacuum valve 4 that opens and closes the vacuum line is provided on the vacuum line. The decompression chamber 2 is also provided with a pressure gauge 5 that measures the pressure inside the decompression chamber 2. The decompression chamber 2 may be configured to be decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and may be configured as a vacuum chamber (vacuum chamber) that is decompressed to a substantially vacuum state of about 1000 Pa to 1500 Pa (absolute pressure), for example. An atmosphere release valve 6 is connected to the decompression chamber 2 so as to communicate with the inside of the decompression chamber 2. This atmosphere release valve 6 may be a solenoid valve having a valve body that opens and closes a cylindrical portion that is connected to the decompression chamber 2 so as to have one end open toward the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the other end serving as the atmosphere intake side.

[0013] The reduced pressure processing device 1 may be provided with a control unit 9 that controls each unit. The control unit 9 may be connected to the drive unit of the transfer mechanism, the drive unit of the shutter, the mixed liquid dispenser, the vacuum pump 3, the vacuum valve 4, the pressure gauge 5, the atmosphere release valve 6, and the like via appropriate signal lines. The control unit 9 may be a programmable logic controller (PLC) or the like that includes a control circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU), an input unit, an output unit, and the like, and executes the basic operations described below. The control panel including the control unit 9 may be provided with a display / operation unit for setting, inputting, and displaying various settings. The control panel may also be provided with a storage unit configured from various memories such as ROM and RAM, which stores setting conditions and input values ​​set or input by operating the display / operation unit, various programs such as control programs for executing the basic operations described below, various preset operating conditions, various data tables, and the like.

[0014] In this reduced pressure processing device 1, the control unit 9 may control each unit to perform the following basic operations. First, a processing object is carried into the decompression chamber 2 by a transfer mechanism through the inlet of the decompression chamber 2, the inlet is sealed with a shutter, and the decompression chamber 2 is decompressed by the vacuum pump 3. At this time, the vacuum pump 3 and the vacuum valve 4 may be controlled based on the measurement value of the pressure gauge 5. Then, when the decompression chamber 2 reaches a predetermined decompression state (vacuum state), the mixed liquid dispenser is driven and controlled to inject the mixed liquid into the processing object, and once the injection is complete, the air release valve 6 is opened to open the decompression chamber 2 to the atmosphere (vacuum breaking). Then, when the pressure inside the decompression chamber 2 returns to atmospheric pressure (or a pressure that does not adversely affect the processing object), the shutter of the outlet may be opened, and the processing object may be removed. The basic operation of the decompression processing device 1 is not limited to this operation and may be various other modes. Furthermore, the decompression processing device 1 is not limited to an apparatus that injects such a mixed liquid, but may also be an apparatus that performs other treatments or processes on the processing object.

[0015] If a relatively large amount of gas is introduced into the decompression chamber 2 from the beginning of the opening of the decompression chamber 2 to the atmosphere as described above, the pressure difference between the decompression chamber 2 and atmospheric pressure will be large, causing the gas to be introduced into the decompression chamber 2 suddenly, resulting in a sudden rise in pressure. As a result, there is a concern that the mixed liquid injected into the treatment object will ripple or adhere to other parts, that dust and the like will fly up and adhere to it, and that the mixed liquid remaining at the nozzle tip of the mixed liquid dispenser will scatter. On the other hand, if a throttle valve such as a needle valve is provided on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6 and a configuration is adopted in which a small amount of gas is introduced when the decompression chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere, it will tend to take a long time for the decompression chamber 2 to reach atmospheric pressure. In order to mitigate such a sudden increase in pressure within the decompression chamber 2 when it is opened to the atmosphere and to shorten the time required for the decompression chamber 2 to reach atmospheric pressure, a gas introduction device 10 is attached to the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6.

[0016] The gas introducing device 10 includes a valve element 18 that opens and closes the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6, a small-volume gas introducing section 14 that has an opening area smaller than the opening area of ​​the valve element 18 when it is in the fully open position and allows gas to be introduced regardless of the position of the valve element 18, and a biasing mechanism 20 that biases the valve element 18, which is in the closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2 when the atmosphere release valve 6 is open, toward the fully open position. With this configuration, when the atmosphere release valve 6 that opens the decompression chamber 2 to the atmosphere is opened, the valve element 18 is sucked by the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2 against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 20 and moves to the closed position, but a small amount of gas is introduced into the decompression chamber 2 through the small-volume gas introducing section 14. This makes it possible to mitigate a sudden increase in pressure in the decompression chamber 2 when it is opened to the atmosphere. In other words, even when the valve element 18, which has a large opening area when it is in the fully open position, is in the closed state, a small amount of gas is introduced into the decompression chamber 2 through the small-volume gas introducing section 14. As a result, the object being treated or processed in the reduced pressure chamber 2 is less likely to be adversely affected by a sudden increase in pressure as described above.

[0017] Furthermore, as the introduction of a small amount of gas via the small amount gas introduction part 14 continues, the pressure inside the decompression chamber 2 gradually increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the decompression chamber 2 becomes smaller, the biasing mechanism 20 biases the valve element 18 to the open side, increasing the amount of gas introduced. This reduces the time required to bring the inside of the decompression chamber 2 to atmospheric pressure. As a result, the cycle time when processing or machining an object to be processed inside the decompression chamber 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, the gas introduction device 10 is attached to the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6 that opens the decompression chamber 2 to the atmosphere, and the valve element 18 is closed and opened by the negative pressure of the decompression chamber 2 and the biasing mechanism 20. Therefore, the structure and control can be simplified compared to a configuration in which multiple valves are provided and the opening and closing of these valves are controlled by a control unit.

[0018] 2, the gas introduction device 10 includes a cylindrical body 11 having at one end a mounting portion 12 that is attached to a mounting portion 8 on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6 so as to communicate with the atmosphere intake side opening 7 of the atmosphere release valve 6, and at the other end an opening 13 that is opened and closed by a valve body 18. With this configuration, the gas introduction device 10 can be attached to the atmosphere release valve 6 by attaching the mounting portion 12 of the cylindrical body 11 to the mounting portion 8 on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve 6. Furthermore, by configuring the diameter of the cylindrical body 11 and the mounting portion 12 to correspond to the diameter of the atmosphere intake side opening 7 and the mounting portion 8 of an existing (general-purpose) atmosphere release valve 6, it can be easily added as an option to a device that has an atmosphere release valve 6.

[0019] The cylindrical body 11 has a generally cylindrical shape. The mounting portion 12 at one end of the cylindrical body 11 and the mounting portion 8 on the atmosphere intake side of the cylindrical portion of the atmospheric release valve 6 are configured to be threaded together. With this configuration, the gas introduction device 10 can be easily attached to the atmospheric release valve 6 by threading the cylindrical body 11 onto the cylindrical portion of the atmospheric release valve 6. In the illustrated example, an internal thread groove constituting the mounting portion 8 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the atmosphere intake side end of the cylindrical portion of the atmospheric release valve 6, and an external thread groove constituting the mounting portion 12 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of one end of the cylindrical body 11. The mounting portion 8 of the atmospheric release valve 6 and the mounting portion 12 of the cylindrical body 11 are not limited to such a threaded joint configuration and may be an appropriate flange for flange joint. Furthermore, the cylindrical body 11 is not limited to a generally cylindrical shape but may be a generally rectangular or straight cylindrical shape but may be, for example, an elbowed cylindrical shape.

[0020] The small amount gas introduction part 14 is provided with a flow rate adjustment part 17 that can increase or decrease the opening area. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the gas introduced into the decompression chamber 2 through the small amount gas introduction part 14 at the initial stage of opening of the atmosphere release valve 6. This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of the gas introduced into the decompression chamber 2 at the initial stage of opening of the atmosphere release valve 6 according to the degree of decompression (vacuum degree) in the decompression chamber 2, so as to prevent the adverse effects of the above-mentioned sudden pressure rise on the treatment object in the decompression chamber 2 from occurring. The small amount gas introduction part 14 is provided in the cylindrical main body 11. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce adverse effects on the opening and closing of the valve body 18, compared to, for example, a configuration in which the small amount gas introduction part 14 is provided in the valve body 18. Furthermore, even in cases where it is difficult to provide the small amount gas introduction part 14 having the flow rate adjustment part 17 as described above in the valve body 18 due to spatial limitations, it can be stably provided in the cylindrical main body 11.

[0021] The small-volume gas introduction section 14 is provided in an adjunct manner on the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical main body 11. The small-volume gas introduction section 14 is provided with an upstream opening 15 on the upstream side in the gas introduction direction and a downstream opening 16 on the downstream side in the gas introduction direction. The upstream opening 15 may be open to take in atmospheric air (outside air), and a pipe for supplying an inert gas such as a nitrogen-enriched gas may be connected to the upstream opening 15. The downstream opening 16 is provided so as to open on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical main body 11. The downstream opening 16 is provided midway between one end and the other end of the cylindrical main body 11. In the illustrated example, the downstream opening 16 is provided so as to be located approximately in the center of the cylindrical main body 11 in the axial direction, but is not limited to this example. The flow rate adjusting unit 17 may include a needle that increases or decreases the passage cross-sectional area (opening) between the upstream opening 15 and the downstream opening 16, and a manual operation unit that adjusts the opening by moving the needle back and forth relative to the valve seat. That is, the small amount gas introducing unit 14 may be a manual flow rate control valve. Such a flow rate control valve may be a needle valve (throttle valve), or a speed controller (speed control valve) that includes a check valve (non-return valve) in addition to a needle. Note that instead of providing the small amount gas introducing unit 14 in the cylindrical main body 11, it may be provided in the valve element 18, which will be described later.

[0022] 2(b), the valve element 18 is configured to be able to close the opening 13 of the cylindrical main body 11. In the illustrated example, the valve element 18 is formed in a generally disk shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening 13 (the inner diameter of the other end (outer end) of the cylindrical main body 11). When the valve element 18 is in the closed position, the outer peripheral edge of the surface of the valve element 18 facing the cylindrical main body 11 (one surface in the thickness direction) abuts against the end surface that forms the periphery of the opening 13 of the cylindrical main body 11. On the other hand, when the valve element 18 is in the fully open position, as shown in FIG. 2( a), the outer peripheral edge of one surface of the valve element 18 in the thickness direction is disposed so as to face the end surface of the cylindrical main body 11 on the opening 13 side. The opening area of ​​the valve element 18 in the fully open position may be understood as the lateral area of ​​the gap between the valve element 18 in the fully open position and the opening 13. In other words, the opening area of ​​the valve element 18 in the fully open position may be understood as the value obtained by multiplying the dimension along the axial direction from the valve element 18 in the fully open position to the end face of the cylindrical main body 11 on the opening 13 side (the axial direction of the cylindrical main body 11; the same applies hereinafter) by the inner diameter of the opening 13 and pi. The opening area of ​​the valve element 18 in the fully open position may also be understood as the effective cross-sectional area. The opening area of ​​the small amount gas introduction part 14 (effective cross-sectional area at maximum opening when the flow rate is adjustable) may be smaller than the opening area (effective cross-sectional area) of the valve element 18 when it is in the fully open position, and may be about 1 / 100 to 1 / 3 of the opening area (effective cross-sectional area) of the valve element 18 when it is in the fully open position. Note that the gas introduced into the cylindrical body 11 through the opening 13 when the valve element 18 is open may be the atmosphere (outside air) as described above, or an inert gas such as a nitrogen-enriched gas.

[0023] The biasing mechanism 20 is provided with a biasing force adjustment unit 24 that adjusts the biasing force of the biasing member 27 that biases the valve element 18 toward the fully open position. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the timing at which the valve element 18, which is in the closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2, moves to the open side. This makes it possible to adjust the biasing force of the biasing member 27 according to the degree of decompression (vacuum) in the decompression chamber 2, etc., so as to prevent adverse effects caused by a sudden increase in pressure on the object to be processed in the decompression chamber 2 and to shorten the cycle time.

[0024] The biasing mechanism 20 includes a guide portion 22 that guides the valve element 18 that displaces in the axial direction between the closed position and the fully open position, and a holding portion 21 that holds the guide portion 22. The guide portion 22 is axially (columnarly) oriented so that its axial direction coincides with the axial direction of the cylindrical main body 11, and a portion of its axial direction is disposed within the cylindrical main body 11. The guide portion 22 is inserted into a shaft insertion hole that penetrates the valve element 18 in the thickness direction. In other words, the valve element 18 is freely displaceable in the axial direction along the guide portion 22 that is inserted into the shaft insertion hole. The inner diameter of the shaft insertion hole of the valve element 18 may be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide portion 22 so that the valve element 18 can be smoothly displaced in the axial direction relative to the guide portion 22 and is less likely to tilt. The shaft insertion hole of the valve element 18 may penetrate the center (circular center) of the valve element 18.

[0025] 1 and 2, the retaining portion 21 retains the guide portion 22 on the side opposite the opening 13 in the thickness direction of the valve element 18, and also functions as a stopper that prevents the valve element 18 from further moving toward the open side when it is in the fully open position. The stopper portion that functions as a stopper of the retaining portion 21 is formed to extend in the radial direction of the valve element 18, and the stopper portion is provided with a shaft insertion hole through which the guide portion 22 is inserted. The retaining portion 21 is provided with fixed piece portions that extend from both ends of the stopper portion toward the cylindrical main body 11 and are fixed to the cylindrical main body 11. The fixed piece portions on both sides of the retaining portion 21 may have a relatively small dimension in the circumferential direction (the circumferential direction of the valve element 18) so that gas can flow smoothly when the valve element 18 is in the fully open position.

[0026] 2, the biasing member 27 is a compression coil spring into which a portion of the guide portion 22 extending toward the inside of the cylindrical main body 11 is inserted. A flange-shaped retaining portion 23 that prevents one end of the biasing member 27 from coming off is provided at the end of the guide portion 22 inside the cylindrical main body 11. The other end of the biasing member 27 abuts against the valve body 18. In other words, the biasing member 27 is configured to bias the valve body 18 against the retaining portion 23 of the guide portion 22 so as to press the valve body 18 toward the stopper portion of the holding portion 21 that is in the fully open position. The biasing force adjusting portion 24 is configured to adjust the biasing force of the biasing member 27 by deforming the biasing member 27 between the retaining portion 23 and the valve body 18 in the expansion / contraction direction. In the illustrated example, the biasing force adjusting portion 24 includes a male thread portion 25 provided at a portion of the guide portion 22 that extends on the side opposite the opening 13 in the thickness direction of the valve body 18 and protrudes beyond the stopper portion of the retaining portion 21, and a female thread portion 26 that displaces the male thread portion 25 in the axial direction relative to the retaining portion 21.

[0027] In other words, when the male thread portion 25 is displaced relative to the female thread portion 26 so that the retaining portion 23 approaches the stopper portion of the holding portion 21, the biasing member 27 is compressed, and the elastic force (biasing force) becomes large. On the other hand, when the male thread portion 25 is displaced relative to the female thread portion 26 so that the retaining portion 23 moves away from the stopper portion of the holding portion 21, the biasing member 27 is extended, and the elastic force (biasing force) becomes small. The biasing force adjustment portion 24 is not limited to this embodiment and may be an appropriate embodiment depending on the configuration of the biasing member 27, etc. Furthermore, the biasing member 27 is not limited to a compression coil spring and may be another spring member such as a tension coil spring or a torsion spring, or may be an elastic member such as rubber, and the holding portion 21 and the guide portion 22 may be appropriately deformed depending on the biasing member 27.

[0028] In the gas introducing device 10 configured as above, the valve element 18 is displaced as follows, and the decompression chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere. When the atmosphere release valve 6 is in a closed state, that is, when the cylindrical body 11 and the decompression chamber 2 are not in communication, the valve element 18 is brought to a fully open position by the biasing member 27, as shown in FIG. 2(a). When the atmosphere release valve 6 is opened, that is, when the cylindrical body 11 and the decompression chamber 2 are connected to each other, the valve element 18 is sucked by the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2 and moves to the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing member 27, as shown in Figure 2(b). The gap between the valve element 18 and the periphery of the opening 13 and the biasing member 27 may be configured so that the valve element 18 moves to the closed position due to the pressure difference between the pressure in the decompression chamber 2 and atmospheric pressure when the atmosphere release valve 6 is opened.

[0029] When the atmosphere release valve 6 is opened and the valve element 18 is in the closed position, a small amount of gas is introduced toward the decompression chamber 2 through the small amount of gas introduction portion 14. As shown in Fig. 3, the flow rate of the gas introduced toward the decompression chamber 2 gradually decreases as the gas is introduced through the small amount of gas introduction portion 14 because the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes smaller. Note that the graphs in Figs. 3, 6, and 8 schematically show the transition of the flow rate of the gas passing through the cylindrical main body 11 downstream of the downstream opening 16 of the small amount of gas introduction portion 14 (the cylindrical portion side of the atmosphere release valve 6). Then, when the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes even smaller, the valve element 18 is brought to the fully open position by the biasing member 27, as shown in Figure 2(c). In other words, when the biasing force of the biasing member 27 becomes greater than the suction force caused by the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere, the valve element 18 is displaced to the fully open side. Figure 2(c) shows the valve element 18 in the process of opening, but it reaches the fully open position relatively quickly.

[0030] 3, a larger amount of gas than that described above is introduced into the decompression chamber 2 through the opening 13 and the small amount of gas introduction part 14 of the gas introduction device 10, and the flow rate increases relatively rapidly. At this time, since gas has already been introduced through the small amount of gas introduction part 14, the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere is small, so there is no sudden increase in pressure that would adversely affect the object to be treated, and the flow rate is approximately the same as the flow rate of gas at the initial stage of opening of the atmosphere release valve 6. Then, similarly to the above, as the gas is introduced, the differential pressure between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes smaller, and the flow rate gradually decreases to zero, that is, the decompression chamber 2 becomes atmospheric pressure. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the time required for the decompression chamber 2 to reach atmospheric pressure while mitigating a sudden increase in pressure within the decompression chamber 2. In other words, if only the small-amount gas introduction section 14 is provided, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 3, the flow rate decreases as the differential pressure between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes smaller, and the time required for the decompression chamber 2 to reach atmospheric pressure tends to become longer.

[0031] Next, modified examples of the gas introducing device will be described with reference to FIGS. In each of the following modified examples, differences from the previously described example will be mainly described, and explanations of similar configurations will be omitted or briefly explained. Also, in each of the following modified examples, explanations of the same effects as those in the previously described example will be omitted or briefly explained. Also, the gas introduction device according to each modified example may be provided in the reduced pressure processing device 1, as in the above example.

[0032] 4 to 6 schematically show an example of a gas introducing device 10A according to a first modified example and an example of the transition of the flow rate when using the gas introducing device 10A. In this modification, at least one of the valve element 18A and the peripheral edge of the opening 13 opened and closed by this valve element 18A is provided with an opening area variable portion 19A that makes the opening area of ​​the valve element 18A smaller when the valve element 18A is partially open than when it is fully open. With this configuration, the opening area of ​​the valve element 18A when it is partially open is smaller than when it is fully open, which more effectively prevents the adverse effects of a sudden increase in pressure on the object to be treated in the decompression chamber 2. In this modification, the opening area variable portion 19A is provided on the valve element 18A.

[0033] The valve element 18A, similarly to the above-described example, is in the closed position with its outer peripheral end abutting against the end face of the cylindrical main body 11 on the opening 13 side. The opening area variable portion 19A is provided so as to be continuous with the valve element 18A on the cylindrical main body 11 side, and is columnar in shape so as to be inserted into the cylindrical main body 11 when the valve element 18A is in the closed position. That is, the valve element 18A is configured such that the opening area variable portion 19A, which has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion, is provided on the cylindrical main body 11 side of the large diameter portion, including the outer peripheral end that abuts against the end face on the opening 13 side of the cylindrical main body 11. The opening area variable portion 19A is columnar and arranged coaxially in the cylindrical hollow portion of the cylindrical main body 11. The outer diameter of the opening area variable portion 19A is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical main body 11 so that a gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the opening area variable portion 19A and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 11 that allows gas to pass through.

[0034] 5(a) and 5(b), when the valve element 18A is in the mid-opening state in which the opening area variable portion 19A is displaced toward the open side within the cylindrical main body 11, gas is introduced through the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the opening area variable portion 19A and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 11. The opening area of ​​the valve element 18A in the mid-opening state may be understood as a value obtained by subtracting the cross-sectional area of ​​the opening area variable portion 19A from the hollow cross-sectional area of ​​the cylindrical main body 11, or it may be the effective cross-sectional area. The opening area (effective cross-sectional area) of the valve element 18A in the mid-opening state may be smaller than the opening area (effective cross-sectional area) of the valve element 18A when it is in the fully open position, and may be, for example, approximately 1 / 20 to 9 / 10 of the opening area (effective cross-sectional area) of the valve element 18A when it is in the fully open position. The axial dimension of the opening area variable portion 19A may be set to an appropriate dimension so that the half-open state continues for a predetermined time (for example, about 0.5 seconds to 5 seconds).

[0035] In the gas introducing device 10A configured as above, the valve body 18A is displaced as follows, and the decompression chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere. As in the above example, when the atmosphere release valve 6 is closed, the valve element 18A is brought to the fully open position by the biasing member 27, and when the atmosphere release valve 6 is opened, the valve element 18A is pulled by the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2 and brought to the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing member 27 (see FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)). In this state, as in the above example, a small amount of gas is introduced toward the decompression chamber 2 through the small amount gas introduction portion 14. As shown in FIG. 6, the flow rate of the gas introduced toward the decompression chamber 2 gradually decreases as the gas is introduced through the small amount gas introduction portion 14 because the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes smaller. 5(a) and 5(b), the valve body 18A is displaced toward the opening side by the biasing member 27, and gas is introduced through the gap between the opening area variable portion 19A and the cylindrical main body 11. At this time, as the valve body 18A is displaced toward the opening side, the resistance (pipe line resistance) when passing through the gap between the opening area variable portion 19A and the cylindrical main body 11 becomes smaller (the passage path becomes shorter), and therefore, in the partially open state, the flow rate of the gas decreases relatively gradually, as shown in FIG.

[0036] Then, when valve element 18A reaches the fully open position, as the gas is introduced, the differential pressure between inside decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere becomes smaller, and the flow rate gradually decreases to zero, that is, the pressure in decompression chamber 2 becomes atmospheric pressure. Fig. 6 shows an example in which the flow rate of the gas gradually decreases up to the fully open position, including the end of the partially open state of valve element 18A, but depending on the differential pressure between inside decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere, the flow rate may temporarily increase after opening area variable portion 19A is displaced to the outside of cylindrical main body 11 (the end of the partially open state). In this modified example, the opening area variable portion 19A is formed in a cylindrical shape with a uniform outer diameter throughout the axial direction, but instead of this, the opening area variable portion 19A may be formed in a multi-step cylindrical shape or a truncated cone shape in which the outer diameter decreases stepwise or continuously toward the retaining portion 23 of the guide portion 22. With this configuration, the opening area increases as the valve body 18A is displaced toward the opening side in the mid-open state, similar to the second modified example described later.

[0037] 7 and 8 schematically show an example of a gas introduction device 10B according to a second modified example and an example of the transition of the flow rate when this device is used. In this modified example, the valve body 18B, which is at least one of the valve body 18B and the peripheral edge of the opening 13 opened and closed by the valve body 18B, is provided with an opening area variable portion 19B. In this modified example, the outer diameter of the valve element 18B is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical main body 11 over the entire axial direction. In other words, the valve element 18B does not have an outer peripheral end that abuts against the end face of the cylindrical main body 11 on the opening 13 side. As shown in FIG. 7(b), in the closed position, the valve element 18B is entirely housed within the cylindrical main body 11, and the outer peripheral surface of its outer end (the end face on the stopper portion side of the holding portion 21) is close to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 11. Instead of this embodiment, the valve element 18B may have an outer peripheral end that abuts against the end face of the cylindrical main body 11 on the opening 13 side.

[0038] The opening area variable portion 19B is a groove-shaped portion that opens on the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 18B and extends in the axial direction. The opening area variable portion 19B also opens on the end surface of the valve body 18B that faces the retaining portion 23. The opening area variable portion 19B may also open on the end surface of the valve body 18B that faces the outer end. The opening area variable portion 19B is formed so that the opening area gradually increases in a continuous manner as the valve body 18B moves from the closed position to the fully open position. In other words, the groove cross-sectional area of ​​the opening area variable portion 19B, which is perpendicular to the groove longitudinal direction, gradually increases in a continuous manner from the outer end (the end on the stopper portion side of the retaining portion 21) toward the retaining portion 23. The groove cross-sectional area of ​​the opening area variable portion 19B, which is perpendicular to the groove longitudinal direction, may be understood as the opening area. Unlike the examples described above, as shown in Fig. 7(a), the valve body 18B is configured such that even in the fully open position, a part of it (the end on the retaining portion 23 side) is located inside the cylindrical main body 11. With this configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 18B is close to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 11, but is less likely to get caught, allowing for smooth opening and closing.

[0039] In the gas introducing device 10B configured as above, the valve body 18B is displaced as follows, and the decompression chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere. As in the above-described examples, when the atmosphere release valve 6 is closed, the valve element 18B is brought to the fully open position by the biasing member 27. When the atmosphere release valve 6 is opened, the valve element 18A is drawn by the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 2 and moves to the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing member 27 (see FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)). As a result, similar to the above-described examples, a small amount of gas is introduced toward the decompression chamber 2 via the small-amount gas introduction portion 14. As shown in FIG. 7(c), as the pressure difference between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere decreases, the biasing member 27 displaces the valve element 18B toward the open side, and gas is introduced via the opening area variable portion 19B as well. The example in FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the flow rate of the gas is approximately constant when the valve element 18B is displaced from the closed position to the fully open position. In other words, the opening area variable portion 19B may be configured to maintain a substantially constant flow rate of the gas when the valve element 18B is displaced from the closed position to the fully open position. Alternatively, the gas flow rate may decrease or increase when the valve element 18B is displaced from the closed position to the fully open position. When the valve element 18B reaches the fully open position, the differential pressure between the inside of the decompression chamber 2 and the atmosphere decreases as the gas is introduced, and the flow rate decreases to zero, i.e., the pressure in the decompression chamber 2 becomes atmospheric pressure.

[0040] In this modified example, an example is shown in which a single groove-shaped opening area variable portion 19B is provided in valve body 18B, but instead of this configuration, a configuration in which a plurality of opening area variable portions 19B are provided at intervals (preferably equal intervals) in the circumferential direction of valve body 18B may be adopted, or the entire valve body 18B may be shaped like a truncated cone, etc. Furthermore, instead of a configuration in which valve body 18B is provided with opening area variable portion 19B that changes the opening area in a stepless manner, a configuration in which an opening area variable portion that changes the opening area in a stepwise manner may be adopted. Furthermore, in the first and second modified examples, examples are shown in which the opening area variable portions 19A, 19B are provided on the valve bodies 18A, 18B side, but instead of or in addition to such an embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the opening area variable portion is provided on the peripheral portion (such as the inner peripheral surface at the outer end of the cylindrical main body 11) side of the opening 13 that is opened and closed by the valve bodies 18A, 18B. In this case, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a groove, step, taper, or the like is provided on the inner peripheral surface at the outer end of the cylindrical main body 11 so that the opening area increases toward the outside.

[0041] In each of the above examples, the biasing mechanism 20 is provided with a biasing force adjustment unit 24 that adjusts the biasing force of the biasing member 27 that biases the valve bodies 18, 18A, 18B toward the fully open position, but such a biasing force adjustment unit 24 may not be provided. In the above examples, the small amount gas introduction portion 14 is provided with a flow rate adjusting portion 17 that can increase or decrease the opening area, but the small amount gas introduction portion 14 may not be provided with such a flow rate adjusting portion 17. In this case, the small amount gas introduction portion 14 may be provided with a small hole or the like in the cylindrical main body 11 or the valve body 18, 18A, 18B. The specific configuration of each part of the gas introduction devices 10, 10A, and 10B according to this embodiment and the operation of releasing the decompression chamber 2 to the atmosphere performed using the gas introduction devices 10, 10A, and 10B are not limited to the configurations described above, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10, 10A, 10B Gas introduction device 11 Cylindrical body 12 Mounting part 13 Aperture 14 Small volume gas inlet 17 Flow rate adjustment section 18, 18A, 18B Valve body 19A, 19B Variable opening area section 20 Biasing mechanism 24 Force adjustment section 27 biasing member 2. Decompression Chamber 6 Atmospheric release valve 7 aperture 8 Mounting part

Claims

1. A gas introduction device attached to an atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve that opens a decompression chamber that is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure to the atmosphere, a valve body that opens and closes the atmospheric intake side of the atmospheric release valve; a small-volume gas introduction section that has an opening area smaller than the opening area of ​​the valve body when it is in the fully open position, allowing gas to be introduced regardless of the position of the valve body; a biasing mechanism that biases the valve body, which is in a closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber when the atmospheric release valve is opened, toward the fully open position; and a cylindrical body having an attachment portion at one end that is attached to an attachment portion on the atmospheric intake side of the atmospheric release valve so as to communicate with the opening on the atmospheric intake side of the atmospheric release valve, and an opening that is opened and closed by the valve body at the other end.

2. In claim 1, The gas introducing device is characterized in that the small amount gas introducing portion is provided in the cylindrical main body.

3. A gas introduction device attached to the atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve that opens a decompression chamber that is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure to the atmosphere, the valve body is provided with: a valve body that opens and closes the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve; a small amount of gas introduction section that has an opening area smaller than the opening area when the valve body is in a fully open position and is capable of introducing gas regardless of the position of the valve body; and a biasing mechanism that biases the valve body, which is in a closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber when the atmosphere release valve is opened, toward the fully open position, The gas introducing device is characterized in that the small amount gas introducing section is provided with a flow rate adjusting section that can increase or decrease the opening area.

4. A gas introduction device attached to the atmosphere intake side of an atmosphere release valve that opens a decompression chamber that is decompressed to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure to the atmosphere, the valve body is provided with: a valve body that opens and closes the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve; a small amount of gas introduction section that has an opening area smaller than the opening area when the valve body is in a fully open position and is capable of introducing gas regardless of the position of the valve body; and a biasing mechanism that biases the valve body, which is in a closed position due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber when the atmosphere release valve is opened, toward the fully open position, The gas introducing device is characterized in that the biasing mechanism is provided with a biasing force adjusting section that adjusts the biasing force of a biasing member that biases the valve body toward a fully open position.

5. In claim 3 or 4, A gas introduction device characterized by comprising a cylindrical body having at one end a mounting portion that is attached to a mounting portion on the atmosphere intake side of the atmosphere release valve so as to communicate with the atmosphere intake side opening of the atmosphere release valve, and at the other end an opening that is opened and closed by the valve body.

6. In any one of claims 1 to 4, A gas introduction device characterized in that at least one of the valve body and the peripheral portion of the opening opened and closed by the valve body is provided with an opening area variable portion that makes the opening area of ​​the valve body smaller when it is halfway open than when it is fully open.

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